Most Mediterranean Foods are known as the cuisine that has evolved over the centuries, specifically in the sixteen countries that surround the Mediterranean. These primary countries who have influenced the evolution of such foods are Southern Greece, Italy, France, Portugal and Spain. These countries are characterized by the longer life spans of their people as well as the lower incidence of heart disease and cancer.
The Basic Mediterranean Diet
Many Mediterranean foods contain complex carbohydrates, many vegetables, fruits, beans, pasta, rice and many other grains. Since the Mediterranean countries have all had access to the sea, fish is popular however due to over fishing the use has somewhat tempered down a bit now. Wine is also taken frequently however in lesser or moderate quantities and all the food is cooked in olive oil. Apart from giving the food a taste of its own. olive oil is also considered to be therapeutic in nature and is naturally cholesterol free which reduces the risks of a heart disease.
A Typical Mediterranean Meal
Typically, a meal will start with appetizers, for instance the Moroccon olive salad or Turkish stuffed grape leaves. If the season is right sometimes a filling Mediterranean soup such as the heavy fafa bean soup from Sicily or the pasta soup from Greece along with fresh unprocessed bread can make the entire meal. Bread is often served and a couple of popular breads are olive bread from Cyprus or sesame bread from Egypt.
The main course consists of a lot of vegetables, fetta, pastas or legumes which basically imply plants will form the majority of the meal with servings of fish and meat. Some examples are the Greek eggplant pilaf or simple Tunician fish dish with couscous which is a semolina grain.
The last course is invariably quite simple with a cup of Turkish coffee or Moroccan tea and for dessert, simple things like Algerian almond cookies, lemon tart from Provence, baked figs from Greece or simple Sicilian lemon ice.
What are the popular Mediterranean Foods?
Some of the popular forms of Mediterranean foods include Fish dishes because of the proximity to the Mediterranean Sea however because of over fishing in this area much of the fish now needs to be imported.
Barbecue food is popular in these areas where meat is cooked by using the heat of charcoal and wood. Barbecue is popular in most parts of the world although the technique will differ slightly every where the basic preparation is the same.
Pita bread is wheat flatbread made with yeast and apart from being part of the Mediterranean cuisine also forms part of the traditional cuisine in many Middle Eastern and African countries. There it is known as the Lebanese, Syrian or Arabic Bread.
Hummus which is a dip made of chickpea and sesame paste with flavorings of olive oil, garlic, lemon juice and paprika. This dish has become quite popular as a breakfast dish and has gained currency throughout the Arab World.
Are Mediterranean Foods healthy?
Mediterranean Foods have become popular in the 90s in the western world mainly because it has so much supporting research from a plethora of universities and research assocoiations across the globe. Additionally, it's considered the major cause for the longevity of people in this region along with the reduced incident of heart and other diseases when compared to the western world. This is owed to many factors including Olive oil which is high in antioxidants and unlike the animal fats consumed in America is said to be controlling cholesterol and reducing heart disease.
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